Heroin overdose victim rescued from City Hall bathroom

A San Francisco sheriff’s sergeant helped save the life of an unconscious man suffering from a drug overdose who was found locked in a City Hall bathroom stall Tuesday night, the sheriff’s department said today.

At about 11:30 p.m., Sheriff’s Sgt. John Caramucci responded to a call from a custodian reporting that a man in his 30s was unconscious in a bathroom stall, according to sheriff’s officials.

Sgt. Caramucci used a pocketknife to open the locked stall door and found the man with a needle in his arm, not breathing, sheriff’s officials said.

Sgt. Caramucci immediately called for paramedics, an automated external defibrillator and assistance from deputy sheriffs.

Paramedics arrived on the scene within four minutes of the call and were able to resuscitate the man. Paramedics then took him to a hospital, according to sheriff’s officials.

A liquid substance found at the scene later tested positive for heroin, sheriff’s officials said.

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi said in a statement:

“We’re proud of our deputies for their swift and effective work in this case. … Overdosing in City Hall couldn’t be more emblematic of a resurgent drug crisis hitting San Francisco. Heroin usage is way up and existing treatment centers are not enough. Nationwide, reports suggest that we’re looking at a burgeoning public health and public safety crisis.”